Worth



v (No Model.)

J. A. ASHWORTH.

LIFE PRESERVING GHAIR;

No. 382,935. Patented May 15 18881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ALFRED ASHWORTH, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

LIFE PRESERVING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,935, dated May 15, 1888.

Application filed May 11,1887. Serial No. 237,863. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James ALFRED Asu- WORTH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yonkers, in the county of \Vestchester and. State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life- Preserving Chairs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of my life-preserving chair, showing the same unfolded in position for use as an ordinary chair. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the chair folded up as it appears when used as alife-preserver. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal view of the chair in its unfolded position. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the chair when folded for use as a life-preserver; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofa slight modification of my improved chair, showing it constructed without the back.

The same letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in all the figures.

My invention consists in a life-preserving chair which, when unfolded, can be used on a vessel or steamer as an ordinary chair, but which in case of accident to the vessel can be folded up and employed as a life-preserver, and which is so constructed that it will support several persons in the water; and my invention will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A A indicate the inner and B B the outer legs of my improved life-preserving chair, the said inner legs being centrally pivoted to the outer legs, as shown, the pairs of legs being connected at their upper ends by the crossbars C D, respectively, and being connected near their lower ends by the ordinary rungs, E F. Upon the rear cross-bar, O, just inside of the upper ends of the outer legs, are pivotally mounted, toward their lower ends, the side rails G G of the chair-back, these rails extending up for the required distance and being connected at their upper ends by the crossbar H, which thus completes the frame of the chair-back proper,whilc the lower ends of the back rails G G are extended down some dis tance below the pivotal point G, and are connected together a short distance below the said point by the cross brace or rod 1.

The back and seat of the chair are formed of a single piece of, preferably, waterproof material K, in one or more pockets of which the buoyant material, (usually cork,) is confined and secured. This cover of water-proof material, K, is secured around the top cross-bar, H, of the frame of the chair-back by a row of stitches, L, and a second row, M, is stitched across a small space below this first row, and the cork or other buoyant material is secured within the water-proof covering between this second row, M,and a row, N,of stitches a short distance above the lower end of the back, the buoyant material being secured in one or more pockets, as desired, according to whether the cork is in one or more pieces, and some distance below this lower row, N, of stitches a second row, 0, is stitched immediately above the cross-bar G of the seat, leaving between these two rows of stitches the slack or hinge portion 1?, for the purpose hereinafter specified. The covering 15' is again stitched across at Q, immediately below the cross-bar O, and another row of stitches, It, is stitched across the covering some distance in front of this row Q, forming between these two rows of stitches Q; and R the slack or hinge portion S, as shown most clearly in the sectional views. The forward end of the covering material is stitched firmly around the forward crossbar, D, of the seat,and ashortspace back of this forward row, T, a second row,U, of stitches is stitched, forming at the forward end of the seat the hinge or slack space V, and between the rows B and U in the body of the seat portion of. the covering material is confined or secured in one or more pockets the buoyant material or cork, as shown clearly in the sectional views of the drawings.

In ordinary use on the deck or in the saloon of a steamer the chair is unfolded into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, in which position the lower ends, G G of the back rails, which are beveled or pointed, rest in notches A A in the upper side of the inner legs at that point, thus holding the chair too in its open position for use as an ordinary easy-chair, and at the same time the outer ends of the lower cross-bar, I, rest in recesses B B formed in the lower sides of the outer legs, B, near the upper ends of the same, thus additionally bracing and strengthening the chair in its open position under the weight of the person sitting in it, as will be readily understood.

To the outer side of one of the back rails, near the center of the upper part of the same, is pivotally secured one end of a strap or band, WV, which may be of the same Water-proof material as the covering of the back and seat-,and which when not in use is passed loosely around the back of the chair-back and has theloop or ring X at its free end hooked over the button Y on the other back rail, on the outer side of the same.

In case of any accident to the steamer or vessel the chair can be instantly converted into a life-preserver by folding the back forward over the seat, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, when, owing to the slack or hinge spaces at the rear end of the seat and the lower end of the back, the cork back and seat can fold closely flat down upon and against each other, as clearly shown in the sectional view, Fig. 4, of the drawings, and the chair is then secured firmly in its folded position by passing the strap WV around under the seat and hooking the loop or ring at its free end over the button Y,when the chair will be held tightly togetherin its folded position no mat ter to what extent it may be tossed about by the waves or how roughly it may be handled either in throwing it overboard or while in the water. When thus folded,it will be seen that the side rails of the back form a convenient grasp or hold for the hand for any person in the water, and that the legs themselves form a convenient means for grasping the life-preserver from either side, while the projecting ends of the legs and also of the lower ends of the side rails of the back form an exceedingly convenient means of seizing the life-preserver when at a little distance from the body portion thereof, as will be, readily seen.

My invention can also be constructed without the back in the form ofa folding stool, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, in which form the back rails G G extend only from the rear cross-bar of the seat down to the notches in the rear ends of the inner legs.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will be readily understood. It will be seen that my improved folding lifepreserving chairis simplein construction and can be manufactured at a small cost, and at the same time it is exceedingly convenient and efficient in operation. It can be employed, as described, as an ordinary easy chair on the steamer or vessel, and in case of an accident forms a perfect and exceedingly effective life-preserver, one chair being capable of supporting several persons in the water. The waterproof covering (which is of course stitched all along its longitudinal edges) can be finished in an ornamental manner, so as to present a neat and handsome appearance.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, with the hinged legs, the inner pair of which are formed with the notches in the upper side of their rear portions, of the waterproof material forming the seat and having the buoyant material secured within it, and the pivoted braces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a life preserving chair, of the centrally-pivoted legs having the cross-bars at their upper ends, the inner legs having the rear notches, the back-frame having the projecting lower ends, and the waterproof material forming the back and seat and having the buoyant material secured within it, as described, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a life preserving chair, of the centrally-pivoted legs having the cross-bars at their upper ends and the inner legs being formed with the rear notches, the back-frame having the projecting lower ends,

and the water-proofmaterial forming the back and seat having the slack or hinge portions and having the buoyant material secured within it, as described, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, in a life preserving chair, of the centrally-pivoted legs having the erossbars at their upper ends and the inner legs having the rear notches, the back-frame having the projecting lower ends, the waterproof matcrial forming the back and seat having the slack or hinge portions and having the buoyant material secured within it, as described, and the strap pivoted at one end to the back-frame and having the loop or ring at its free end adapted to engage with the button on the opposite side of'the back-frame, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

"5. In a lifesaving chair, the combination, with the centrallypivoted legs, the outer legs having the recesses in their lower sides near their upper ends, of the back-frame having the lower ends of its side rails extended dowi below their pivotal point and connected by the transverse brace-rod, theends of which engage with the said recesses of the outer legs, the waterproof material forming the back and seat, and the buoyant material secured therein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a life-saving chair, the combination, with the centrally-pivoted legs, the inner legs having the notches formedin the rear portions and the outer legs having the recesses formed in their lower sides near their upper ends, of the back-frame having the lower ends of its side rails extended down below their pivotal IIO points and connected by the transverse braceown I have hereunto affixed my signature in red, the ends of which engage with the said represence of two witnesses.

\ cesses of the outer le s the water-proof material forming the 108 012 end seat, and the buoy- JAMES ALFRED ASHWORTH' 5 ant material secured therein, substantially as Witnesses:

and for the purpose set forth. WILLIAM H. SIMMONDs,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my MIOHAEL DAROY. 

